Still You Stay

You stay with me
even when I do not stay,
even when I turn away, walk away
from myself.
You stay with me,
though left for dead,
abandoned.

You stay,
weeping
beside my
self imposed tomb,
call out my name,
awaken me from death
to life with you.

You stay with me
even when I turn away, walk away
from others,
even when I close my eyes,
my heart,
to their want,
their beauty,
their love.

You stay, full of mercy,
forgiving me,
offering me
a heart broken open
capable of learning
from you
to live love for others.

You stay with me
even when I turn away,
walk away
from you,
even when this
prodigal child
rejects Joy itself,
spurning
the Love of Heaven.

You stay,
pursuing me
with love’s pure longing,
calling me back
to myself,
to all others,
to you,
hounding me Home.

——

For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39